An examination and explanation of clues to establish the
date of 19th century photographs.
This Week's Photograph - February 18, 2013
About the Case Studies
Photo Facts
Photo Type
Cabinet Card
Card Size
4.25" x 6.5"
Card Color
Light Green
Card Edges
Straight Cut
Front Imprint
Small Lettering
Back Imprint
Small Artwork
Print Technology
Albumen
Each week a new photo case study typical of old family photographs is published.
These examples can help genealogists learn the skills that will help date their own photos.
An estimated date (if one is not available) is assigned a +/- number of years it could be. Dating old photos is a science that provides answers usually within 2 - 6 years of when the photo was taken.
This is a very early cabinet card from 1874. It resembles a carte de visite, only larger. The carte de visite was still the predominane size photograph made until the very late 1870s. So this one is unique.
The green card color immediately puts the card in the 1870s. Pastel colors were available throughout the 1870s. Green, pink, and light yellow were the most popular.
The back imprint was relatively small, not like imprints in the 1880s which may have covered the complete back.
Confirmed Date: 1874
Woman's Style
The woman's fashion, in particular the small lace collar and chain-like necklace are very stylish for the mid-1870s. Several examples of this can be seen in the 1870s gallery.
Her hair: short, curled, and styled fits the mid-1870s styles perfectly.
We were fortunate that this card was not only dated: June 1st, 1874 on the back, but is identified as Caroline Ferris Gale.
For the Historical Buff
The back imprint is typical of the 1870s, and similar styles are found on cartes de visite.
However this imprint included an interesting note that evidently the photographer felt was important. Look closely towards the bottom. It reads:
"The only Gallery using a Water Power Elevator in the World".
Either the photographer thought the novelty would bring people in, or maybe the convenience of not walking up flights of stairs was a nice feature.
You can become an expert at analyzing photographs.
Much of the information used to analyze this photograph is covered in the Identification section of this web site. In addition, comparison to similar yet dated photographs in the Gallery section will help confirm the estimates. Even greater detail, organized for this type of research is available in PhotoTree.com's books. Learn More.
